World's Most Amazing Views

Adam H. Graham

December 21, 2009

From the Paris skyline to the rocky cliffs of Bhutan’s Paro Valley, the 10 best views from around the globe.The rush you feel while standing on the edge of the sprawling Grand Canyon is a traveler’s rite of passage. The 277 miles of gold and bronze–hued landscape is one of the natural world’s most gorgeous sights to behold; add a soft blue sky to the mix, and you’ve got yourself one of the world’s best views.

From the Grand Canyon to the Matterhorn, the world’s most iconic vistas are part of the travel canon for good reason. They induce wanderlust. They get us thinking about the four corners of the earth as well as humankind’s minor place in the scheme of things. And when we see them in person, we are startled and humbled by their physical magnificence.

Far from nature’s wonders but equally spectacular are the world’s greatest cityscapes, which can leave an equally compelling impression: perhaps hope or opportunity, in the case of New York City, or romance in Paris. “Parisians might be less obvious about it, but we all secretly love the Eiffel Tower,” says Paris-based blogger and travel guide Heather Stimmler-Hall of Secretsofparis.com. “Especially when it sparkles in the sun or peeks out on a foggy day.”

These days, amazing views are just a Google search away. Vacation photos from colleagues and friends fill our inbox, and both amateur snapshots and professional photography have saturated the web. Yet seeing a stunning landscape in the flesh is more than just a pretty picture—it stirs something within. Perhaps it’s a combination of the senses: the slow progression of a copper dawn spilling onto the Urubamba Valley in Peru, the sound of fluttering prayer flags in Bhutan’s Black Mountains, or the smell of roasting chicken in Paris’s 18th Arrondissement. These elements are part of the lasting effects of an experience that can’t be captured on film.

Of course, a quintessential viewing moment can be ruined—perhaps by bad weather or a crush of tourists. That’s why for each amazing view, we’ve given you the best time to go, weather-wise, as well as a secret viewing spot to help you avoid the foot traffic when you’re there. “People will always want to see the biggies, like the Berlin Wall or the Empire State Building,” says Henrik Tidefjaerd, a Berlin-based coolhunter at Berlinagenten.com who travels around the world to discover edgy, new destinations. “That’s fine, but more and more want to have their own authentic experience with these iconic images. They want their own view, not a postcard image.”

But if there’s one thing Stimmler-Hall has learned from her years living in one of Europe’s most picturesque cities, it’s to remember to stop for a moment, put down that camera, and take it all in. “Paris never looks as good through a lens as it does in person,” she says. “So when you’re in front of the real thing, look at it with your own eyes.”

1 of 9Meghan Lamb

Cliffs of Moher

Why It’s Amazing: Stand on the blustery edge of Ireland’s steep, rocky Atlantic-battered cliffs and you’ll feel as though you’ve arrived at the true end of the world, with nothing but 2,000 miles of briny Atlantic swells between you and Newfoundland.

Secret Viewing Spot: The view of the ocean from atop Moher is breathtaking, but experiencing it on the water is sublime. Hop on a surfboard at the nearby Lahinch Surf School and try to conquer Aill na Searrach, also known as the giant wave of Moher.

When to Go: Crowds dissipate in October, when you’ll also find the best swells.

2 of 9China Highlights

Great Wall of China

Why It’s Amazing: Millions of people over the course of 21 centuries helped construct, rebuild, and maintain the Great Wall of China, which dips, rises, and bends across the country for some 6,000 miles. The theory that it’s visible from space is now debated, but its immense engineering achievement and man-made beauty are unquestionable.

Secret Viewing Spot: You’ll find the otherworldly ruins of unrestored wall segments in Gubeikou, a less-visited part of the Yanshan Mountain range in the northeast of Miyun County.

When to Go: October’s brisk temperatures and lighter foot traffic make for ideal wall hiking.

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3 of 9Jon Arnold Images Ltd/Alamy

Paris Skyline

Why It’s Amazing: Napoleon is credited for transforming the City of Light during the Second Empire, but it was engineer Gustave Eiffel who helped define the cityscape with a colossal iron lattice tower, which has become a symbol of romance that can be seen sparkling from even the remotest corners of Paris’s 20th Arrondissement.

Secret Viewing Spot: From our list of the World’s Hottest Rooftop Restaurants, try Restaurant Les Ombres atop Le Musée du Quai Branly. Once the sun goes down, sit back in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower while nibbling on creative sweat breads and sipping a glass of French wine.

When to Go: Winter. Yes, it’s chilly, but the twinkling lights and cold Seine breeze create a tableau that is pure Paris.

4 of 9iStock

The Matterhorn

Why It’s Amazing: Five hundred mountain climbers have died attempting to reach the rocky 14,692-foot summit of Switzerland’s majestic Matterhorn. The snow-covered, sawtoothed peak has a pyramidal summit that has become the textbook illustration of alpinism’s golden age and all its triumphs.

Secret Viewing Spot: Ascend Gornergrat by railway and exit at quiet Rotenboden station. Walk down the three-kilometer path to Lake Riffelsee, which on clear days offers majestic reflections of the mountain.

When to Go: The trail to Lake Riffelsee is open from July to October; the later you go, the less crowded it will be.

5 of 9iStock

Grand Canyon

Why It’s Amazing: It’s big. Real big. We’re talking 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and one mile deep. While it’s not the world’s deepest or widest canyon, it’s undoubtedly the most colorful. The Grand Canyon also exposes ancient Proterozoic and Paleozoic strata—two billion years of earth’s rust-hued history—a visual experience that is not easily captured on film and can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

Secret Viewing Spot: Head toward tranquil Shoshone Point, an unmarked trail on a dirt road off East Rim Drive between mileposts 244 and 245.

When to Go: March to May, before the RVs arrive.

6 of 9Jessica Antola

Machu Picchu

Why It’s Amazing: Though many theories exist about Machu Picchu’s purpose (a prison, a resort, an agricultural test site, an aristocratic estate), there’s no denying the cosmic beauty of these methodically carved, fog-covered peaks, engineered by the Incas in the 15th century. To witness dawn spilling over the lush Peruvian Urubamba Valley is an unforgettable experience.

Secret Viewing Spot: Only the first 400 visitors to the site each day are given access to Huayna Picchu, the peak that overlooks Machu Picchu’s ruins and offers spectacular vistas of the surrounding cloud forest.

When to Go: June is a quiet month; on Sundays many tourists head to the nearby Pisac Market instead.

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7 of 9iStock

Golden Gate Bridge

Why It’s Amazing: The iconic bridge’s trademark “International Orange” gleam offers a wild contrast against the cobalt San Francisco Bay and the ghostly white fog that often hovers above both. Built during the Depression, in 1937, by the Works Progress Administration, the bridge is an emblem of California’s free spirit.

Secret Viewing Spot: The unmarked Hendrik Point in the Marin Headlands north of the Gate offers a rare aerial glimpse of the bridge with the city behind it.

When to Go: September and October, when it’s sunny with the least chance of fog and rain.

8 of 9JenFu Cheng/Alamy

Tiger’s Nest

Why It’s Amazing: The Tiger’s Nest (or Paro Taktsang Monastery) clings like lichen to rocky cliffs in Bhutan’s Paro Valley and creates an awed silence among visitors, broken only by the sound of rustling prayer flags and chanting monks.

Secret Viewing Spot: The best vistas are from the gardens of Sangtopelri and hermitages atop the mountain above Tiger’s Nest, accessed by the winding trail used by monks.

When to Go: April and May, for the spring flowers and Paro Festival.

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9 of 9Carl Chapman/iStock

Great Barrier Reef

Why It’s Amazing: The world’s largest reef system, off the coast of Australia, casts a cerulean underwater glow that is unlike any color you’ll find above the surface. Thousands of species live on the reef, including endemic sea-dragons, giant cuttlefish, saltwater crocodiles, and 134 species of sharks and rays.

Secret Viewing Spot: Try off-beach diving and snorkeling from tranquil Lady Elliot Island, home to a population of manta rays and renowned for its crystal-clear waters.

When to Go: September and October, when visibility is at its best and whales are breeding.